THE search at Bradford (Park Avenue) continues for a new permanent manager, but they’ve had to deal with another unexpected off-field issue this week.

That’s because, on Tuesday, the club and experienced midfielder Simon Richman mutually agreed to terminate the contract of the player due to personal reasons.

But the saying, ‘when one door closes, another one opens,’ certainly springs to mind when mulling over Avenue of recent times, as not long after Richman departed the club, the arrival of non-contract signing Reward Mwakona was confirmed.

At 25 years old, the Zimbabwean defender brings a wealth of experience to Horsfall having previously played for Morecambe, Larne in Northern Ireland, and Airbus in Wales.

Giving his thoughts on the club’s recent activity, joint-caretaker boss Oli Johnson, said: “Simon is fine, we’ve spoken to him, but his current priority is not football, and it won’t be his focus certainly for the foreseeable. If that’s the case, then I think the decision works well for both parties. On his side, he’s someone we care about a lot, so we want what’s best for him. Obviously, we also want what’s best for the squad and that means that we want players who are fully committed to the cause. That’s nothing against Simon; it’s just how we see it moving forward.”

Johnson added: “Of course, we’ll look at bringing in replacements but it’s not always easy replacing someone like Simon who has lots of quality and experience.

“In the absence of losing him, and someone like Jamie Spencer (out for the season with ACL injury) who also has a great deal of experience, we need some of our younger players to step up and take the competition by the scruff of the neck. We can’t hide from the fact that losing both players is a massive blow for us, but this is football and we have to find ways to adapt.”

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Simon Richman brought a great deal of experience to Bradford (Park Avenue)Simon Richman brought a great deal of experience to Bradford (Park Avenue) (Image: John Rhodes)

Despite the departure of Richman, the arrival of Mwakona has given the team and coaching staff a boost ahead of this weekend’s fixture at Lancaster City.

Johnson said: “I don’t know much about Reward, but I’ve seen him train a couple of times and he seems like he’s a good lad with a great attitude.

“He’s got a great energy about him and on the pitch, he’s been putting himself about and throwing himself into blocks and challenges, which is what we need on a Saturday. He’s got a bit of physicality about him, and maybe that’s what we’ve been missing.

“Hopefully he can come into the side and bring us something a little bit different. We’ll continue to manage him and then see where he fits in going forward.”

Avenue do travel to Lancaster today in hope of getting Johnson and Luca Havern their first victory since taking over as caretaker managers.

So far, it’s been two narrow defeats for the pair, and despite seeing improved displays in the respective fixtures, Bradford are eager to turn those performances into points.

Johnson said: “It’s crucial that we get something on Saturday. As much as we believe that we should have come away from the games against Matlock and Gainsborough with more points, we’ve still come away with nothing.

“We believe we are good enough and we have been impressed with what we have seen over the last two games, but we need to get a point at least on Saturday. We can’t make excuses anymore; it’s all about turning our season around.”

Avenue parted ways with Mark Bower and Danny Boshell at the beginning of November, which allowed Johnson and Havern to step into the vacant roles temporarily, and it’s something that the former has taken in his stride.

Johnson admitted: “It’s been different but I’ve enjoyed seeing the game in a different perspective. You don’t focus on yourself as much and instead you’re giving your attention to the other players, and focusing on how you communicate with them and how you plan to put your ideas across.

“I can’t say it’s something that I’ve done much in the past because usually I’m focused on my own performance, my own fitness and my own mental state ahead of a game. So, it has been different, but I’ve enjoyed it. Getting a couple of victories would have capped off my experience even more.”

Johnson added: “Luca (Havern) has been superb. He’s taken a lot on and has continued to give clear instructions to the players. It’s clear that they respect him as a coach.

“The atmosphere within the group is still great despite the two defeats recently. I feel like we’re closing in on our first victory because, as I say, the performances have been positive.”